Evansville, IN – Austin Peay State University (APSU) women’s basketball senior Arielle Gonzalez-Varner was tabbed as a Preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference selection by the league’s coaches and communications directors, announced Tuesday at the annual OVC Basketball Media Day. The Governors were also picked to finish fourth as a team in the league’s preseason poll.
Coming off a breakout season, the 6-1 Cincinnati native was the Governors second-leading scorer and leading rebounder, averaging 12.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. Gonzalez-Varner led the OVC in field goal percentage, shooting 51.4% from the floor a season ago.
The senior-forward posted one of the best games in program history, scoring 32 points and pulling down 23 rebounds against Mississippi Valley State, November 19th. It is the only known 30-20 in program history, and was one of a team leading 7 double-doubles in 2018-19.
Gonzalez-Varner recorded her first 20-point performance in OVC play last season when she scored 22 points against UT Martin, January 12th. She would go on to score in double-figures in 13 of 18 conference contests, recording double-doubles in four of those games.
The Governors were picked to finish fourth in the OVC women’s basketball preseason poll. Coming off a 15-15 season, David Midlick‘s squad returns nine letterwinners and four starters from 2018-19. The Govs have advanced to the OVC Tournament in all four seasons under Midlick.
The 2018-19 Govs made a program-record 241 three-pointers, hitting 35 more threes than the 2002-03 squad. This season the Governors return 80% (192 made threes) of last season’s three-point production.
Belmont, UT Martin, and Tennessee Tech were the three teams picked to finish ahead of the Governors in the preseason poll, with all three receiving first place votes. With the Governors slotted fourth in the preseason poll, Jacksonville State, Southeast Missouri, and Morehead State sit right behind the Govs in the poll.
2019-20 OVC Women’s Basketball Predicted Order of Finish
Order of Finish Points
1. Belmont (14 first-place votes) 234
2. UT Martin (Nine first-place votes) 227
3. Tennessee Tech (One first-place vote) 203
4. Austin Peay 151
5. Jacksonville State 147
6. Southeast Missouri 139
8. Murray State 108
9. SIUE 99
10. Eastern Illinois 76
11. Tennessee State 53
12 Eastern Kentucky 30
2019-20 Preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference Women’s Basketball Team
Preseason OVC Player of the Year: Ellie Harmeyer, Belmont
Jordan Brock, Tennessee Tech
Arielle Gonzalez-Varner, Austin Peay
Ellie Harmeyer, Belmont
Maura Muensterman, Belmont
Karle Pace, Eastern Illinois
Chelsey Perry, UT Martin
Tesia Thompson, Southeast Missouri
Macey Turley, Murray State
Maddie Waldrop, UT Martin
Maddie Wright, Belmont
